Murder in the Garden

Silver Pines Mysteries, Book 2

By: Lyla Blue

Narrated by: Eleanor Caudill

Spring has sprung, and so has Silver Pines' latest scandal.

Spring in Silver Pines means bunting on Main Street, garden plots in full bloom, and just enough small-town chaos to keep things interesting. Clare Garner’s juggling custom furniture orders at The Mill and doing her best to referee the rising tension between her high school sweetheart, Jackson, and her recently re-rooted college ex, Blake.

But when a local green thumb turns up toes-up in the community garden, Clare finds herself knee-deep in a mystery that’s more tangled than last year’s Christmas lights. With her love life sideways and a mystery sprouting like weeds, Clare’s got to find the truth—before someone else gets pruned from the picture.

Between nosy neighbors, whispered rivalries, and a killer hiding in plain sight, Clare will need more than sandpaper and sass to keep things from falling apart. In Silver Pines, the flowers aren’t the only things ready to bloom—so are the secrets.

Titles in the Silver Pines Mysteries series:

• #1 Murder at Maisie's
• #2 Murder in the Garden
• #3 Murder Over Coffee

©2025 Lyla Blue (P)2025 Blue Nose Publishing

love these!!

Murder in the Garden by Lyla Blue!!
Book 2 in the Silver Pines Mysteries series
Performed in duet narration by Eleanor Caudill & Sebastian York

I'm really enjoying this little books, they are a quick read/ listen when you are maybe needing a break from those giant 600 plus page books 😆.

I can't help but think of the game when I listen to them though, they are just a nice cozy listen. It keeps you enthralled and you think you might know who it is, but then someone else just pops up. The awkward 😬 relationships between her "exs" is always funny.

Alc Review: 4 🌟
Narrations: 5 🌟
DUET

Another Silver Pines Cozy Mystery

This is book two in the Silver Pines Mysteries series. The story continues with Clare, Jackson, Blake and the other towns people. Clare, Jackson, and Blake are still intertwined and it seems Clare has to sort out her feelings. While they are still making custom furniture and decorating condo space, Clare stumbles upon another mystery. The cozy feels remain in this story as well, while Clare picks up in clues along the way. The story flows easily between emotions, plot and the curious feeling of wanting to know who did it.
Eleanor and Sebastian did another amazing job with all of the chapters. It was easy to keep up with the different characters and they did great bringing out the emotions throughout the story.

Flowers lead to murder

Clare's business is booming at The Mill. Jackson is helping her with some of the work, but he has also decided to rejoin the police force. Her ex Blake has also been very helpful, donating over stock furniture to a project of hers.
It's spring in Silver Pines and it's time for blooms contest. When a gardener is found dead the contest is in jeopardy while they try to figure out what happened. As Clare follows the clues she realizes something else is going on that has nothing to do with flowers.
Loved the story and really enjoy visiting the town of Silver Pines.Great performance by narrators.

A great cozy mystery

This was another great read in the Silver Pines series. I found the mystery clever and engaging, and I didn't guess the killer before it was revealed. I loved the cozy setting and all the small town characters. The continued romantic tension between Clare and her two love interests made for a fast-paced romp that I finished in about a day. The audiobook narrators do a 5 star job. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series!

A Great Addition to the Series.

It is spring in Silver Pines and Clare is being kept busy with both her booming business at The Mill and her involvement in the Blooms Contest. Unfortunately, she then discovers the body of a gardener, and she begins to investigate the murder.

I enjoyed revisiting Silver Pines and spending time with Clare and the secondary characters. The story was interesting, and the mystery was good. I didn't guess the killer right away which is always a plus. The narrators also did a good job pulling me into the story and keeping my interest.

Easy to Get Lost In

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The dual narration adds so much to the story—having both a male and female narrator for the respective characters makes the whole experience feel more vivid and engaging. The storyline is great, and the charming small-town setting pulls you right in. Overall, it’s a fun, well-told mystery that’s easy to get lost in.

A deeper dive into Silver Pines

Welcome back to Silver Pines where flowers are popping up, just like the dead bodies! Lyla Blue has another win on her hands with Book 2 in the series. I do think listening (or eyeballing) book 1 will give you a richer read of book 2, but it definitely stands alone as well. The readers are really getting acquainted with all the members of the small town of Silver Pines, as well Clare's possible love interests. I'm not sure if I am leaning more towards Blake or Jackson at this point, but time will tell in this cozy mystery. Lyla kept me guessing to the very end!

The narration, 5 stars, straight fire. Eleanor Caudill is a DELIGHT. And auditory treasure that I can't get enough of. Sebastian just really seems to be enjoying himself in these books. There's a special zing to his narration in these books. Cozy mystery fans, please dive into this series. Thank you to Blue Nose for the chance to listen and review!

Murder and Love triangles

The story was a bit repetitive, Claire's in a love triangle with Jackson and Blake and another murder takes place, only this time there’s more than 1 dead body... the murders are kinda funny because even though the killer wanted them dead they were accidents 🤣 it's a liitle too far fetched. The vibe of the book is not bad just to much of the same. I wish Claire would just pick Jackson already. I think Lucy might be the only sane one in these books 😁

The narration has been so good, it's what's keeping me going. Sebastian is such a good narrator, I love how versatile his voice is. Eleanor is so good I cant wait to listen to more of her audiobooks 😊 They've done an amazing job with this series 👏🏽

Cozy, suspenseful whodunit!

Murder in the Garden is book 2 in the Silver Pines Mysteries series, and a fun step back into the world of Clare, who seems to have a penchant for finding bodies around town. Lyla's writing is the perfect blend of small-town charm, fast-paced suspense, nosy locals, and a dash of love triangle romance.

Clare is just beginning to feel back to herself after the latest dose of whodunit hijinks, when another resident of Silver Pines is found dead amongst a pile of gardening supplies. Ruling out suspects one by one keeps the reader guessing, and the story intriguing. Nobody is free from suspicion, including Clare herself and her two love interests, Blake and Jackson.

Another great performance from Eleanor Caudill and Sebastian York, these books are a quick and easy listen. Their performances add a layer of vibrancy and believability to the story, which makes it that much more enjoyable.

I didn’t figure out the guilty party. That’s always a good sign to a great mystery.

The narrators were excellent, they know how to bring the story alive. The characters were well written and the plot was intriguing. I know the author has her own ideas about Clare’s dating life, but the chemistry between her and Pate has me wishing the author would investigate that. And always a good sign to a mystery, when you can’t figure out who the guilty party is.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.